Tractor



July 7,l 1936.

E. W. JOHNSON ET AL TRACTOR Filed Sept. 9, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet ly E @mm3/14 l l l z @d July 7, 1936. E. W. JOHNSON ET A1.

TRACTOR Filed sept. 9, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 @ya atloznu July?, 1936. E. w. JOHNSON ET AL 2,046,560

TRACTOR Filed Sept. 9, 1933 3 Sheets-Shed, 3

mNmN mw l m w\\\ QW mlw H w Mw `x u JMJ Q KN wlw V @wlw MN, IW MI m, uw @iw L? lrrowm TRACTOR nimo w. Johnson and Neede J. Buck, Hicksville, N. Y.: Bessie L. Johnson execntrix of said Elmo W. Johnson, deceased Application September 9, 2 o. (etico-9' .1)

This invention relates to tractors, and among other objects, aims to provide an improved tractor which may be guided and operated with ease by one attendant, who walks behind it; which has extremely high traction, so that it will traverse any kind of soil and will operate up the steepest banks or hillsides; which is very narrow transversely, so that it may run between two closely planted rows without injuring the foliage; which 1r) may either push or pull nearly all standard agricultural implements; which has ample power to do practically all the work of a heavy tractor, yet is easily transportedfrom place to place and is economical to operate (being relatively light), l5 and may be sold at such a low figure that-lt may be adorded by almost any truck gardener.

In the-accompanying drawings showing a preferred embodiment of the invention, Fig. 1 ls a side elevation of the tractor; Fig. 2 is a top 4plan view; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan of the endless belt; 1lFig. 4 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 4;

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are, respectively, enlarged sections on lines 9 6, l-l and 8 8 of Fig. 1. v

Referring particularly to the drawings, there is shown a tractor comprising a frame I0, an endless belt II trained over pulleys so as to travel substantially around the perimeter of frame In, a motor l2 mounted on the frame, mechanism (hereafter described) to drive the belt from the engine, and frame-attached handles i3 by which the tractor may be steered when traveling (such steering being edected by lifting the rear end and turning on the ground-bearing area of the forward end of belt il).

'Ihe frame I@ is preferably made of inexpensive 40 standard steel channels, angle bars and i'irons and need not be specifically described, except -to say that it is readily taken apart and reassembled when desired. Preferably the upper longitudinal frame member is extended rearwardly to form the 45 handles It, which diverge outwardly like plow handles, giving lthe operator perfect control over the tractor. i

The endless belt il is made of heavy rubber belting, preferably about three inches wide. on

the ouside surfacefof which a plurality of forged steel cleats or traction shoes it are secured. As

shown in Figs. 3, d and 5, each cleat or traction shoe It has a pair of parallel dns It extending transversely of the belt and integral with the dat et Ide, which lies as the cuter surface 'countershaft 2i by a sprocket 22.

1933,- Serlal No. 688,839

of the belt. To permit positive driving of the belt, a plurality of forged steel teeth I5 are secured to its inner surface, and for convenience in assembly,

y the same rivets Iiia pass through each tooth I5 and through one of the cleats I4, the width of 5 these parts being substantially the same so that equal Aspacing along the belt is possible. The l small spaces between each pair of cleats and teeth permit flexing of the belt, which is necessary for guiding the belt as it moves in its endless path.

To support and guide the belt, preferably six or more idler wheels are employed, one of which is connected with a belt-tensioning mechanism to be described. Three of the idler wheels are in horizontal alinement, journaled at the bottom of the l5 frame, and each such wheel, as shown in Fig, 6, comprises a pair of round disks I6 over whose peripheries the belt is trained. Th'e disks I6 are v spaced far enough apart to permit the teeth I5 to pass between them without contact (the teeth 20 lI 5 being relatively narrow transversely of the belt, as shown in Fig. 5). Thus there is merely frictional contact between the belt and the idlers. A fourth idler, identical with the three bottom ones, is journaled at the extreme forward end 25 of the frame, above and forward of the foremost bottom idler, and a fifth idler is above and to the rear of the fourth idler. Preferably the forward end of the frame has an angle of about to the vertical to permit the fourth and fifth idlers to 30 be journaled on the same members, and what is more important, to give a rearward slope to the front of the machine, so as to obviate as much as possible the catching and entangling of leaves, brush etc. in the moving parts. Further to min- 35 imize this undesirable result, the entire machine preferably is inclosed with removable side plates secured to the frame, lwhich are not shown because they hide all theworking parts except the belt.

Within the confines of the frame and rigidly mounted on the bottom frame members, is a. power unit preferably in the form of a small air- .cooled internal combustion engine. The engine I2 has a fuel tank Il mounted thereon, although 45 said tank may be at the top of the frame, be@ tween the handles I3. The main shaft It has a sprocket I9 driving a chain 2Q, in turn driving Countershaft 2i has a small sprocket 23 driving alchain 24, 60 which is trained around sprocket 25, which, in turn, is secured to the belt driving wheel 26 sc as to drive the same.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 8, the belt driving wheel 2B is composed of two circular, peripherally 66 the frame. Roller bearings will be used in a comflangedl keyed to a shaft, 21 journaled in mercial form, rather than the elementary bearingsillustrated. The two disks are secured together near their peripheries by. bolts 28 passing through fixed bushings 2!!s which space the disks sumciently far apart to permit the teeth lliv to pass between and engage the rotary bushings 28 which turn on said fixed bushings. As shown in VFig.' 1, the bushings 29 are so spaced that each toothv I5 is engaged by the side of one bushing as it approaches the drive wheel, so that said wheel exerts a thrust simultaneously on a plurality of the teeth (eight teeth being shown in driving en-.f

gagement, in' the illustrative embodiment). Thus there is no great strain on the `belt or on the connections between the cleats,'teeth and belt, and the ow of power is smooth and easy. Also,

th'ebelt grips Ythe peripheries of the flanges ci the disks frictionally and derives some of its power because of such friction. f

To control the movements of the tractor, a clutch 3D (whose construction forms no part of this invention) is on the countershaft and is governed by a rod 3l which extends upwardly to'one ofthe handles i3, where it is pivotally connected with an operating lever 32 pivoted on saidhandle.

The arrangement is such that the lever32 is -con. veniently grasped when its supporting handle is gripped, and when so grasped, the clutch is engaged, and the belt-driving wheel 26 is connected 4with the engine. When the lever 32 is released,

the clutch disengages automatically, and the.

tractor stops, although the engine continues running.

The engine is started by means of a rope `wound l about the f lyfwheelor by a crank or lever (not shown) .f Its speedis controlled by'a wire or rod 33 extending to the fuel intake land governedfby a lever 34 on the other handle (see Fig. 2). A turn lof lever 34 in one direction will speed up the motor, and a turn in the opposite. direction will cause it to slow down; The operator will naturally speed up the motor before engaging the clutch with the other hand, and will decrease the speed of travel when making sharp turns;

these maneuvers being accomplished with the greatest ease.

vAs the belt must he exposed, and as it win nm over and through brush, stony ground, etc., sometimessticks and stones will pass between the y belt and one of the idlers or between the belt and thedriving wheel. To prevent Vtrouble vwhen thisvoccurs, a belt-tensioning device is provided which is best shown in Fig. 6. Rigidly secured l to the frame intermediate the front and rear of ventlongitudinal movement of shaft 38. At the lower en d ofthe spring follower, a screw-thread- .I the frame, and extending vertically, are two parshaft as extends through beth slots as.' Bushings 40 serve to space the disks from each other and from the spring follower, and nuts Il preed bore is provided for engagement with a tension-adjusting bolt 42. A strong coil spring 43 surrounds the bolt and bears at its upper end on the bottom of the spring follower and engages a fixed bar M with its lower end, said bar being secured to the channels 35. It will be clear that part of the weight of the belt, plus the weight of the idler and the U-shaped follower, are borne by spring 43. As the tension on the belt4 increases, the spring yields and the U-shaped fol lower momentarily descends, only to rise again when the tension decreases. Thus when a stick or stone gets under the belt, no harm is done and the belt soon clearsv itself as it travels around the idlers andvwheels. In practice, this feature of the inventionhas been found to be of great importance.

l Obviously, the present invention is not restricted tothe particular embodiment thereof herein shown and described. Moreover, it is not indispensable that all the features of the invention be used conjointlmsince they may be employed advantageously in various combinations andsubcombinations. v

Having described one embodiment of the invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent isz- I 1. A tractor comprising, in combination, a frame; a relatively, large driving wheel at., the

rear end of the frame; a. plurality of idlers forwardly'of the driving wheel and in horizontal alinement; other idlers journaled higher up on the frame; av narrow, endless, flexible belt having a. multiplicity of traction cleats on its outer surface, -said belt'being` trained 'aroundsaid idlers n and wheel and substantially enclosing said frame; co-operating means on the wheel and belt for positive driving engagement of said belt and wheel;A a. vertically acting. belt tensioneron theframe and supporting intermediately the Y upper length of the belt'; power-actuated means on the frame fordriving the driving wheel; and

handles extending from the rear of the frame to guide the tractor.

r2. A tractor comprising in combination, a frame; wheels on the frame including a driving wheel and a numberof idlers; an endless `belt trained around the drivingwheel and idlers; an engine mounted on the frame and having driving engagement with the driving Whee1;' said belt having a pluralityv of equally spaced teeth projecting inwardly from the inside surface thereof substantially at right angles to said surface; said driving wheel comprising two spaced disks, each disk having a peripheral flange; said idlers being in pairs spaced apart just far enough to pass said teeth; the inside surface of said heit having' frictional engagement with the peripheries of said peripheral flanges and of said idlers; means securing the disks together and other means spacing them uniformly apart; and rotatable members located between said disks near` the peripheries thereof and adapted to engage with the aforesaidinwardly projecting teeth on the belt, se that the driving wheel has positive driving engagement with the belt as well asfric tional contact therewith over a large area.

ELMo w. JoIHNsoN.V

NEAFm annex. 

